Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1887-11-26
In EMERGENCIES.
WHAT TO DO WHEN A BLOOD
VESSEL is INJURED.

In Cases OF He-lorrhngc Moro Apprehon
sion is Excited Than is Warranted
How to Sop bleeding from Arteries
and vcins-valuable Advice.
When profuse hemorrhage from wounded
blood vessel occurs. the beholder, be he friend
or stranger, is in many instances so terror
stricken he looses all presence Of mind, and
thus many lives have Lecn sacrificed which
might havo. been saved by timely interven.
ton. In nearly all cases of hemorrhagc much
moro apprehension is excited than warranted.
Tho amount of blood actually lost is generally
/ much overestimatcd There is a common
! expression, "a little blood makes a great
show" This is quite true; for small quan-
tity will soil much clothing, and but little
need DO added to basin Of water to render
it very high colored
1t is well to remember that one-cighth OF
/ the weight of the human body is blood; in
other words, that, in q person of AVERAGE
size, there are from sixteen.t to eighteen pints.
In health, pint-even a quart-of blood can
be Withdrawn from the vessels without in
jury, and doubtless in but few cases would q
loss of one-third tho entirc amount contained
in tho body provo fatal From this statement
it must not be inferred that when hemorrhago
occurs treatment may be leisurcly applied far
from it. The bleeding should III all cases be
Immediately arrested, if possible. The reader
should know, however, how great q loss can
be sustained, without life being threatened,
for it is often fear of immediate death that is
terrorizing and renders ono powerless in such
emergencies.
ARTERIES AND VEINS.
An artery is known to have been wounded
when blood of bright red color spurts out
IN Jets, corresponding to the beats of tho
pulse. Ifa vein is opened, dark red blood
flows from the wound in steady stream.
Bleeding from wounded arteries is in nearly
oil instances by fer the most dangerous.
In cases of. Eemorrhage at oil profusc, firm
pressure should DO instantly made directly
upon the bleeding part The next step to
take will depend upon tho situation and
character OF tho wound. II the injury is on
either of the limbs and is severe, it is always
well to have the patient placed fat on his
back and tho injured member elevated and
supported b. On assistant. During this pro-
cedure the bleeding must be prevented BIZ
unrelaxed pressure.
If small artery has been cut, it will be
known by the size Of the jet which spurts out
when the wound was received. In such cases
oandaging directly over the wound will often
control the hemorrhago. A pad should be
made little larger than the cut, by folding
or rolling firmly piece of cloth. This, when
ready, should be placed over the wound, tho
fingers which have previously graspcd it be-
ing quickly lifted up for tho purpose. and es
quickly should they renew their pressure Oh
the pad Over this bandage can then no
applied, piece of sheet, three OF four inches
wide and six feet long, being used
II the bleeding has entirely ceased, to wet
and keep the bandngo saturated with cold
water and tho limb supported is ill that
there remains to do If, however, tie bleed
ing persists, thcn the treatment to be advised
when largo artery is wounded must be en-
ployed. In such cases no attempt should DO
paadasta paraae sse.,t1cr,r r -eoryi rJrcco-
of rubber tubing should be drawn tightly
and tied in q knot to shut OF the supply Of
blood Not until this is efectually dono
should pressure of tho fingers on the bleeding
part be relaxed.
A SIMPLE Law EXPLAINED.
In cases where the wound is large, and sew
ers small arteries are opened, and pressure
with tho finger does not control the bleeding,
then tho hgaturo should DO applied above tho
injury. Bleeding from small veins is gencr-
ally easily controlled by bandaging over tho
wound. When, however, important vessels
arc opened, as is sometimes the case with en-
larged veins of the leg, then the blood should
be cut of from the bleeding part by tightly
bandaging, not between it and the body, but
between tho wound and tho extremity. This
simple law may easily DO explained; tho
blood goes to the cxtrcmitics through tho
arteries, but returns through the veins.
To control hcmorrhage in some situations
is moro difficult than in others. If large
artery is opened above the knee or elbow it is
doubtful if a handasc can DO drawn tightly
enough to cut of the blood between tho
wound and tho body without improvising
tourniquet. To do this is easy, however. A
common handkerchief can be tied loosely
around the leg or arm, and tho slack taken
up by twisting with cane or stick until suf-
fcient pressure is excrted to prevent the pas
sage of blood to tho wound. Tho advice Of
DR.. Hope Is well worth remembering: "If
you DO by yourself in tho fields, and get q
severe cut with q scythe, or in any sudden
emergency, such as q railroad accident, use
tho remedy which has saved many o life on
the field of baltic. Take a handful Of dry
earth, put this on the wound and grasp
tightly till you call for assistance"
As previously stated, in nearly oil cases Of
hemorrhace from wounds there is no ncccs-
sity for tho alarm often shown, especially
as fear pcrverts the Judgment of those who
could much moro servo the true interests Of
the sufferer by keeping cool and collected
Of course, in oil emergencies a physician
should DO Immediately sent for. II the
bleeding is controlled by pressure Of tho fin
gers, ell other operations which follow can
be donc leisurely, as there is no urgent haste
and mono should DO INDUCED in.--Journal Of
Health.
A Big, Eorrid Man.
It was in Waukcsha last summer that